England has found their answer to Mitchell Starc.

Earlier this week, left-armed quick Josh Hull was named as Mark Wood’s injury replacement for the remainder of the Test campaign against Sri Lanka, and also included in England’s squad for next month’s white-ball series against Australia.

The Leicestershire bowler, who turned 20 last week, has played ten first-class matches to date, taking 16 wickets at 62.75 with an economy rate of 4.91 – numbers that don’t cry out for national selection. During his most recent appearance in the County Championship, last week’s drawn contest against Gloucestershire in Bristol, he claimed match figures of 1-113 from 23 overs.

However, should another member of England’s bowling cartel suffer an injury, Hull could be making his Test debut at The Oval next week, while he’s poised to face the likes of Steve Smith and Travis Head in the ODI and T20 teams next month.

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“It was about half nine last night when I got the call from Brendon McCullum. It’s a very special moment,” Hull told BBC Radio Leicester earlier this week.

“It’s come around pretty quickly. I didn’t think it would happen this fast, but I am really excited to be joining them.”

Traditionally, Hull’s inexperience and underwhelming first-class record wouldn’t have captured the attention of national selectors, but his Test inclusion is the latest in a series of brave selection calls during the Bazball era.

While the likes of Ollie Robinson (426 wickets at 21.14) and Sam Cook (295 wickets at 19.50) boast a far superior record with the ball in the County Championship, England’s think tank has prioritised natural attributes over statistics.

Hull stands at 6ft 7in, around 200cm, while he has been clocked at 89m/h (143km/h) in The Hundred competition – and he’s nowhere near a finished product, declaring he expects to get stronger and bowl faster over the coming years.

“Certainly Mitchell Starc is someone I like to emulate and look up to,” Hull told The Telegraph earlier this year.

“He is of similar height, bowls at 90mph and swings it.”

England’s selectors want bowlers that pose a threat in all conditions, not just with a Dukes ball in the United Kingdom – and Hull fits the bill.

His Test call-up has understandably raised eyebrows, but several of England’s selection gambles during the Bazball era have proven masterstrokes – Harry Brook, Shoaib Bashir and Jamie Smith to name a few.

“I don’t care how many wickets you take – I want to know how hard you are running in, how hard you are hitting the pitch and are you able to sustain pace at 85-88mph,” England men’s managing director Rob Key said earlier this year.

“Look at the best bowlers in the world: Cummins, Bumrah, Starc, Hazlewood, Siraj and Rabada. They are past the vertical bowling in and moving it away. They are all 85mph plus with high skill. That’s what we need.”

Hull made his first-class debut in April last year, claiming a wicket with his fourth delivery as a professional cricketer.

Although his red-ball numbers leave a lot to be desired, the teenager impressed during his maiden season in the one-day cup, helping Leicestershire win the trophy by defending eight runs from the last over of the final against Hampshire. He has since taken 17 wickets at 24.23 in nine matches and was picked up by the Manchester Originals for this year’s Hundred competition.

Earlier this month, Hull claimed figures of 5-74 during an England Lions match against a full-strength Sri Lankan side in Worcester, dismissing the likes of Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva.

“The only stat they seem interested in is pace and potential pace in Hull’s case, he could get quicker,” former England captain Nasser Hussain told the Sky Sports Cricket podcast this week.

“I am rushing to see wickets from Hull and he looks quick enough, he swings it, all I’ve seen is stumps flying everywhere in white-ball cricket.

“Rob Key said the only stats he’s interested in is pace. They are staying true to their left-field selection. What they have done well is everyone they have selected have come in and done well, I’m hoping Josh Hull continues that.”

Since Ryan Sidebottom’s retirement in 2010, England have only picked one left-armed quick in the Test arena – all-rounder Sam Curran – but there’s every chance Hull will be steaming in with the Kookaburra on Australian shores next summer.

England veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad have both retired within the last 12 months, while fellow seamer Chris Woakes is rarely selected for overseas tours. Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Olly Stone have proven susceptible to injury, while Robinson has fallen out of favour with the national selectors.

Gus Atkinson and Matthew Potts have impressed throughout the home summer, but both predominantly serve as first-change bowlers.

If England wanted an opening bowler for the 2025/26 Ashes campaign that could swing the Kookaburra with genuine pace, Hull’s a serious candidate.

The second Test between England and Sri Lanka gets underway at Lord’s on Thursday at 8pm AEST.